Pinchas: A party of loving friends
Rav Johnny's original thoughts on the weekly parsha
I recently read a Dvar Torah whose title stopped me in my tracks.
Found in Ner LaMa’or (which is the title of a book of Divrei Torah on the Parsha by Rabbi Moshe Tzvi Neria, 1913-1995), it focusses on the spiritual message of Shmini Atzeret which is one of the many festivals mentioned at the end of our parasha (see Bemidbar 29:35) and which, in Israel, is also known as Simchat Torah.
Rabbi Neria begins his Dvar Torah by referencing Sukkah 55b where, in its attempt to explain the purpose of Shmini Atzeret - which falls immediately after the festival of Sukkot when not only Jews would come to worship in the Temple, but also representatives of all the other nations since it was on Sukkot that offerings were made in honour of the other nations - it states:
‘This may be explained by a parable where a human king says to his servants: “Prepare me a great feast [where many people will come and celebrate]” and then, on the final day, he said to his most beloved, “Prepare me a small feast so that I can enjoy being just with you alone.”’
As Rabbi Neria explains, ‘Practical mitzvot in general, and the mitzvot associated with the festival of Sukkot specifically, are within the category of “formal” interactions between God and the Jewish people. In contrast, the desire for the Jewish people to have one more day for private festive celebration on Shmini Atzeret because “it is hard for Me for you to leave Me” (see Rashi on Bemidbar 29:36, quoting the Midrash) means that there are no practical mitzvot associated with the day. Instead, the day is dedicated to the mitzvah of joy (simcha) and it is expressive of much more personal love and devotion. This smaller feast, which is a Mesibat HaRey’im (literally, ‘a party of loving friends’) between God and the Jewish people, is ultimately expressive of the source of great joy which we celebrate on this day, as expressed in Tehillim 149:2: ‘Let Israel rejoice in its Maker; let the children of Zion exult in their King’.’ This is what Rabbi Neria wrote. And the title of his Dvar Torah? ‘Mesibat HaRey’im’ (a party of loving friends).
As should be evident, this Dvar Torah was written many decades ago. Still, the fact that the largest massacre of Jews on one day since the Holocaust occurred on Shmini Atzeret whose focus is simcha (joy), and the fact that it included the brutal murder, rape and hostage taking of so many in Kibbutz Rey’im (literally, ‘the kibbutz of loving friends’) and especially in the nearby Nova Music festival which was held at the Rey’im forest - making it not only a Mesibah B’Rey’im (a party in Rey’im) but also a Mesibat HaRey’im (a party of loving friends) - is heartbreaking.
For those who somehow feel qualified to judge their fellow Jews and who may think it improper for me to speak about a music party, which was held on a Shabbat and on festive day, where many arrived at this location by car and where there was much Chillul Shabbat (Shabbat desecration), while at the same time also speaking about the concept of Torah & mitzvot, let me ask the following question:
Why do you think that so many men and women drove to a forest in the south of Israel on Shabbat and on a festival? I believe that it is because they were looking for simcha, and they were looking for a Mesibat HaRey’im, and they didn’t find one in their local community or their synagogue which met their needs.
Though the message and teachings quoted by Rabbi Neria are very beautiful, the fact is that the spirit of Shmini Atzeret and Simchat Torah which was meant to be a truly uplifting day of joy and connection for all Jews, has become a day of joy and connection for only some Jews, and so the others – who are equally in need of joy and connection – went elsewhere for their Mesibat HaRey’im.
Having just entered the three-week period of Bein HaMetzarim beginning with the fast of the 17th of Tammuz and ending with the fast of the 9th of Av, our task is not just to mourn for past events (avelut yeshana) while, at the same time, mourning the heartbreaking recent/current events (avelut chadasha). Instead, it is to address the root cause of our exile – namely the distance and dissonance between so many Jews – and to consider how we can reach a time when we can truly have a Mesibat HaRey’im where all Jews come together b’simcha.
Rabbi Sacks once wrote that, ‘It is easy to speak to God in tears. It is hard to serve God in joy’ (Covenant and Conversation: Deuteronomy p. 127). As we know, this year we have cried out together to God in tears. But what we now need to realize is that the time has come for us to truly take seriously the call to serve God together in joy.
Shabbat Shalom!
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